2007 Domaine de la Terre Rouge Syrah Ascent
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The estates flagship wine (and priced as such), the 2007 Domaine de la Terre Rouge Syrah Ascent is easily the best wine I've tasted from the Sierra Foothills and it's a thrilling Syrah. Possessing perfectly ripe aromas of blackberry, chocolate, spiced-meats, crushed rock, and wild herbs on the nose, this Syrah hit the palate with a full-bodied, decadent, yet weightless texture that carries beautifully integrated acidity, masses of fine tannin, and a seamless, polished finish. Given the overall balance and harmony here, this is superb now, but this has the structure and density for the long haul. Ideally, give bottles 3-4 years of bottle age, at which point it should drink superbly for a decade.
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Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
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The estate’s flagship wine, the 2007 Syrah Ascent, is a big, beefy, blockbuster red boasting an inky/ruby/purple color along with complex aromas of smoked meats, bacon fat, spring flowers, creme de cassis, and blackberries. Extremely rich, yet also surprisingly elegant, it reveals more French oak in its aromatic and flavor profiles than its siblings as well as more structure. It is clearly meant to age for a decade or more. Working from such less prestigious appellations in Amador County as Sierra Foothills and the Shenandoah Valley, Terre Rouge has emerged as one of the stars of the region. Their wines continue to go from strength to strength, and are annual entries as my picks of some of the better Rhone Ranger offerings in the marketplace. Moreover, except for their flagship cuvee, the Syrah Ascent, prices are very fair. For starters, they have fashioned two very good dry whites. These are all impressive efforts that admirably demonstrate the potential that exists in the Sierra Foothills. Kudos to Terre Rouge! Tel. (209) 245-3117; Fax (209) 245-5415